Written Statement - Alternative delivery models in public service delivery: Action Plan

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The Action Plan is framed within the Well-being of Future Generations Act’s drive to work towards shared national goals, effective integration of objectives, collaboration and involvement.

Leighton Andrews, Minister for Public Services

Last year, I published a consultation ‘Alternative Delivery Models in public service delivery: An Action Plan for consultation’. The consultation set out a proposed national framework within which decisions could be made locally on the appropriateness of alternative delivery models in specific service areas. It also set out the practical support available to public service organisations, their workforce, citizens and communities in making decisions about how services should be designed and delivered.

The consultation ran from 13 October 2015 to 13 January 2016 and received 38 responses. During the consultation process a number of workshops were held with key partners, some of which I attended, and I also met with the Wales TUC.

Today I am publishing the final Action Plan which has taken account of the consultation responses and wider engagement around the consultation.

The Action Plan is framed within the Well-being of Future Generations Act’s drive to work towards shared national goals, effective integration of objectives, collaboration and involvement.

The Plan reflects 4 important pre-conditions which should be met in considering alternative delivery models:

Accountability to local government or other relevant public body

Protection of employee terms and conditions

Continuation of trades union recognition

Consideration of the requirements of the Welsh Language Standards as provided by the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011

It also provides some more detailed principles which should guide the development of alternative delivery models.

The action plan includes a range of actions, ranging from developing a national framework for advice and specialist support to reviewing the constraints on the development of alternative delivery models.

The action plan reflects the actions set out in the Social Services Action Plan and contains commitments falling to a number of my Ministerial colleagues’ portfolios.

Taken together, the principles underpinning the Action Plan and the specific actions proposed will provide a sound national framework within which well-informed decisions can be made locally about the appropriateness of an alternative delivery model approach in a given service area.